Can heading and flanging machine



L. C. SHARP. CAN HEADING AND FLANGING MACHINE.

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* APPHCATION FILED APR. 22,19I5. 1,389,703. PatentedSept. 6

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L. C. SHARP. CAN HEADING AND FLANGING MACHINE.

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APPLICATION FILED APR. 22,1916. 1,389,703. PatentedSept. 6, 1921.

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- vention to provide UN'I'ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEE 0. SHARE, OF PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAN COM- EANY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

' can neanme AND FLANGING mcnmn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921..

Application filed April 22 1916. Serial No. 92,941..

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, LEE

zen of the United St mouth, in the county of C. SHARP, a citiresiding at Plattsates,

Cass and 'State of Flanging Machines, is a specification.

of which the following My invention relates to the making of sheet-metal cans, chines for fianging can-bodies and for such can-bodies. It

a heading machine, rapid in operation, lindrical can-bodies and particularly to mathe ends of sheetrmetal securing the heads on is the object of my incombined flanging and simple in structure and wherein the ends of cymay be flanged out wardly, as for double-seaming of heads thereon, and wherein one or both heads may be applied thereto and double-seamed, rolled or folded thereon substantially with the same operation as the flanging of the can-body. A further object of my invention is to provide,

the stop for limiting so that wear of the actual in a die-fianging machine for canthe can-cover or head the length of the flange, die is avoided and the head partly secured to the body simultaneously with and so that the edge of the head or cover the flanging operation,

may be pre-rolled inward to a point substantiall by the rst rolling seaming operatlon.

the same as that ordinarily reached or folding of a double- A further object of my invention is to provide in a machine of this kind a plurality of ing rollers so that wear thereon frequent readllustment thereof-- is rendered unnecessary. of my invention is to flanging dies and seamby the distribution of further object provide, in combination with such a machine, novel means for rotating the chucks cans, and positive m vancing the can-carrying devices,

dies which hold the for feeding or adsuch that the forward movement thereof may be either continuous, celerated, or of the operator, and-ratchet devices,

specific objects of th hereinafter.

or alternately retarded and acfully intermittent, at the will and without the use of pawlbrakes, or other mecha- Further and more e invention will appear In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a partial front elevation and partially a longitudinal vertical section of a machine embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the major part thereof, being a section on the plane of the line 2-2 of l! ig. 1, Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal section on the diagonal lane of the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a etail transverse section on theplane of the line 55 of Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is a detail section on the same plane as Fig. 2, showing a different position of certain parts, Fig. 7 is a detail transverse section on the plane of the line 7-7 of Fig. 1, Fig. 8 is a detail section on the approximately horizontal plane of ing the seam at successive stages of formation.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention I provide a suitable horizontal bed 10 which is supported at a convenient height by legs 11 arranged at the ends thereof. At the ends of the bed, bearing-standards 12 are fixedly mounted thereon and in said standards are journaled the end-portions of a horizontal main-shaft 13. At the central part of the main-shaft there is secured thereon a carrier-wheel 14 having in the peripheral portion thereof a plurality of semi-cylindrical pockets of which the axes extend parallel with the main-shaft and are equidistantly spaced circumferentially of the wheel. The main portions of said pock ets are adapted to receive and support cylindrical can-bodies 15, and near one side of the wheel the pockets are annularly grooved or bored out to a sufliciently larger diameter to receive heads or covers 16 for the can-bodies and to sustain them in alined axial relation with the bodies 15 which rest in the pockets. The bodies and heads are fed to the carrierwheel through a vertical chute 17 having separate channels for series of said bodies and heads disposed in superposed relation, so that the same are moved by gravity into the pockets of the wheel. The structure of the carrier-wheel and feed-chute are common 66 the carrier-wheel.

in the art of can-making, particularly in can-heading machines, and will be understood without further explanation.

At each side of the carrier-wheel there are rotatable and longitudinally-movable spindles which are held in axial alinement with the pockets of the carrier-wheel and carry at their inner ends, adjacent to the wheel, suitable chucks-or dies for engaging the canbodies and heads contained 1n the pockets of the wheel. The said spindles are carried by turret-wheels 18 and 19 WhlCh are secured on the main-shaft at the right and left sides of the carrier-wheel, respectively, as viewed in Fig. 1. The turret-wheels at the ends thereof adjacent to the carrier- Wheel fit revolubly within bearing-rings 20 having foot-portions which rest upon and are secured to the bed 10. The upper portions of said bearing-rings serve for the s ipport of the feed-chute 17, which is connected therewith by bars 21, as shown. The right turret-wheel 18 has aseries of longitudinally movable and non-rotatable stems- 22 which at their outer ends, or those remote from the carrier-wheel, are flattened at one side and have revolubly mounted thereon rollers 23 of which the axes are radial to the main-shaft 13. Said rollers 23 fit within a channel or groove formed between radially-- extending flanges of a track-ring or stationary groove-cam 24 which is secured to the adjacent bearing-standard 12 concentrically with the main-shaft. By means of said track-ring and rollers the desired longitudinal movements are imparted to the stems 22 during rotation of the main-shaft. Rotation of the stems relatively to the turretwheel is prevented by pins 25 which extend therefrom into slots in the outer sides of the wheel, as shown. The inner ends of the stems 22 are bored out to form hearings in which the spindles 26 are held revolubly, the inner ends of the pins 25 extending into annular grooves in the spindles to hold them in fixed longitudinal relation to the stems.

The ends of the spindles at the closed ends of the bearings therefor, are pointed or coneshaped and the end-thrust of the spindles during the operation of the machine is received on said points, so that the friction is reduced to a minimum.

Flanging-dies 27 are secured on the inner ends of the spindles 22 adjacent to the carrier-Wheel, and operate as hereinafter described, to flange the adjacent ends of the can-bodies.

The left turret-Wheel 19 has two series of longitudinally-spaced and alined hearings in which the spindles 28 are revoluble and axially movable. Said spindles carry at their inner ends the dies or chucks 29 and are alined axially with the spindles of the opposite turret-wheel, and with the pockets of On the intermediate portions of the spindles '28, between the bearings thereof, are secured small pulleys 30 whose axial length is less than the distance between the spindle-bearings, so that longitudinal movements of the spindles are permitted. A belt 31, driven from a suitable pulley arranged above the machine, passes around the series of pulleys 30, engaging those located for the time being at the sides and around the lower part of the turret- Wheel, and thus serving to rotate at high speed the respective spindles on which the pulleys are carried. The relation of said belt and pulleys is clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 5. At their outer ends the spindles 28 are shouldered to a smaller diameter than the body-portions thereof, and said reduced portions pass revolubly through saddles 32, being retained in fixed longitudinal relation thereto by collars 33 secured on the ends thereof. The saddles 32 have arcuate faces which fit slidably on the peripheral edges'of the radial flanges of a track-ring'or stationary groove-cam 34, which corresponds with the track-ring 24 at the opposite end of the machine, being secured to the adjacent bearing-standard 12. On the inner sides of the saddles are revolubly-mounted rollers 32 which extend between the flanges of the track-ring, the same thus serving to impart longitudinal movement to the spindles during the rotation of the turret-wheel about the axisof the main-shaft.

Rotation of the main-shaft 13 is effected, preferably, by means of a special driving mechanism therefor arranged at one end of the machine and constructed as follows: The shaft is extended beyond the bearing-standard 12 and has secured thereon adjacent to said standard a large gear 35. On the portion of the shaft extending beyond said gear there is mounted a link or arm 36 which is swingable about the axis of the shaft, and in the lower portion of which the drive-shaft 37 is journaled on an axis parallel with that of the main-shaft 13. At its inner end the drive-shaft 37 carries a pinion 38 which meshes with the gear 35, and at the outer end there is secured a pulley 39 which is connected by means of a belt 40 with a suitable driving pulley located abovethe machine. Thespeed ratio of the pinion 38 and gear 35 is such that for'each revolution of the pinion the gear will be turned through an angle the same as the angle between the inc axes of adjacent sets of therotating spindles mediate portionof the shaft between the two bearing-portions there is secured an that it may oscillate about the axis of eccentric 41. The eccentric. fits revolubly within a strap 42 having a slotted rod or stem 43 which passes slidably over a stud 44 extending out horizontally from a lug 45 at the end of the bed 10. At. the lower end of the swinging link 36 there is an arm 46 having therein an arcuate slot concentric with the shaft13, said slotted arm fitting slidably around the stud 44 adjoining the end of the lug 45. On the stud 44, between the arm 46 and the eccentric-rod 43, there is a cylindrical collar 47 which may be either integral with the stud or fixedly secured thereon, and of which the diameter is greater than the width of the slots in the arm 46 and rod 43. On the end of the stud there is secured a handle 48 by which the stud may be turned to screw the same in andout of the lug 45 and thus move the collar 47 axially. In the adjacent sides of the arm 46 and rod 43, adjoining opposite ends of the slots therein, the said arm and rod have cylindrical counterbores therein, into which the collar 47 may be moved by screwing the stud inwardly or outwardly with respect to the lug 45. When the stud is screwed inwardly, so that the collar 47 passes into the counterbored pocket 49 in the arm 46, the swinging arm 36 is held by the stud in fixed relation to the machine frame, and the collar 47 is disengaged from the eccentric-rod. Thus, when the-stud is in the described position, the drive-shaft revolves on a fixed axis, and the eccentric works idly, the eccentric-rod merely reciprocating upon and rocking slightly about the axis of the stud, while the gear 35 is driven at a uniform speed by the pinion 38. By screwing the stud outwardly to such a position as shown in Fig. 8, at which the collar 47 enters the counterbore of the eccen-' trio-rod, the swinging link 36 is released so the main-shaft, and the end of the eccentric-rod becomes pivotally connected with the stud so that the only movement permitted to said rod is that of-oscillation about the axis of I the stud. Then, during rotation of the v stationary.

drive-shaft 37 an oscillatory movement is imparted by the eccentric-41 to the swinging-link 36, and the axis of the shaft 37, of the pulley 39 and pinion 38 reciprocates in an 'arcuate path concentric with the axis of the main-shaft 13, between two extreme positions such as those shown in Figs. 2 and 6. During such oscillatory or reciprocating movement, the pinion 38 continues to drive the gear 35 and the main-shaft, but the movement imparted thereto is not uniform as when the axis of the drive-shaft remains During each half-revolution of the drive-shaft in which the swinging movement is in the opposite direction to that in which the gear 35 is being. driven, the swinging movement permits the pinion to roll planetarily upon the gear, and the rate at which the gear is driven is reduced proportionally to the rate of the swinging movement. During the alternate half-revolutions of the drive-shaft the swinging movement is added to the normal or average movement imparted to the gear, whose movement is thus accelerated by the same amount by which it was retarded during the intervening half-revolutions of the drive-shaft, it being obvious that, as the pinion and gear remain constantly in mesh with each other, the total movement imparted to the main shaft during one revolution of the drive-shaft remains the same as when the axis of the drive-shaft is stationary. By properly proportioning the eccentric, the throw of which determines the extent of the swinging movement imparted to the driveshaft, the retardation of movement of the gear 35 may be such that it will momentarily come to a full stop, and when so-proportioned the several stopping positions of the gear and main-shaft may be such that the several spindles, chucks and pockets of the carrierwheel will occupy like positions at each pause in the rotary movement of the main-shaft. It may be noted that the oscillatory movements imparted to the drive-shaft and the pulley 39 are substantially at right angles with the length of the drive-belt 40, so that the tension of said belt will not be altered sufiiciently to interfere with the driving action thereof.

At the rearward side of the bed 10, near the longitudinal center thereof, there is secured a bracket having a plurality of cylindrical bosses 50 thereon, with axial openings through them which are radial to the axis of the main-shaft 13. A similar boss 51 may be provided between the depending front and rear flanges of the bed, as shown in Fig. 3, and in all of the radial openings of said bosses there are slidably disposed stems 52. Said stems carry at their inner ends, adjacent to the carrier-wheel, forked for retaining them in adjusted position.

The inwardmovement of the stems is limited by means of pins 57 which extend trans versely through the stems i-nto slots in the sides of the bosses, said pins 57 also serving .to prevent rotation of the stems within the bosses. On the inner end portion of one of the bosses 50 there is pivoted a lever 58, the same being divided so as to pass around the sides of the boss, and its-pivot or fulcrum being formed by pins 59, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. At one end said lever 58 has an inwardly-curved or hook-shaped portion 60 on which abeveled-edged roller 61 is revolubly mounted on 'an axis which is radial to the main-shaft 13. The other end of the lever extends longitudinally of the machine to a point adjacent to the outer portion of.

the turret-wheel 19, and at said end is provided with an adjusting-screw 62 which is adapted for engagement by a series of raised cam-lugs 63 which are carried on the peripheral portion of said wheel, as .shown. A spring 64, arranged beneath the lever 58 adjacent to the side of the boss 50 on which it is pivoted, normally presses the end of the lever inwardly toward said cam-lugs 63. The roller 61 is adapted to be brought into operation {after one or more of the externally acting rollers has bent the can end flange and contained can body flange into a more or less inclined position (Fig. 6), and at such time the partly formed-double seam is or may be subjected to compressing roller action both external and internal, as shown, after which the compressed seam is bent inward tightly against the can body in the usual manner.

Referring now -to the general operation of the described mechanism, power is applied thereto by means of the belts 31 and 40, with resultant rotational movement of the various parts in the directions indicated by arrows in the several figures of the drawing, and the can-bodies 15 and heads 16 are supplied to the feed-chute, descending through the same to the carrier-wheel. For most operations, the control-stud 44 for the swinging drive mechanism is set to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 8, at which the movement imparted to the main-shaft is variable, or alternately retarded and accelerated, as hereinbefore explained in connection with the description of structure and operation of said driving mechanism, and the same is so constructed and arranged that the points of slowest movement thereof, or the stopping positions thereof when the retardation is great enough to cause stoppage of the movement, are reached when the carrier-wheel pockets are alined with the end of the feed-chute. At this feeding or receiving position the rotary spindles carrying the dies 27 and chucks 29 are held in retracted position by the track-rings 24 and 34, so that the can-bodies and the heads are free to drop into the pockets of the carrierwheel. As the parts are advanced to the succeeding positions, however, the spindles are pushed inwardly by the track-rings, so

that the dies 27 engage the open ends of thecan bodies adjoining the same. and the chucks 29 engage the heads 16 and push the same onto the adjoining ends of the bodies.

The dies 27 are so formed that as they are pressed into the ends of the can-bodies the latter are swaged or bent outwardly to form radially extending flanges thereon, of which the width is limited by a stop-shoulder at the outer part of the die.v This operation of flanging a can-body and of limiting the length of the flange by a stop is now common in the can-making art and will be readily understood. At the opposite ,end of the can, however, a similar operation is performed, but in this case the can-head 16, of

'which the edge is pre-formed as shown in Fig. 9, constitutes itself the flanging-die, so that as the flange is formed on the end of the body 15 said flange passes outwardly within the rolled edge of the head, and the inwardly turned edge forms the stop for limiting the length of the flange. Thus, at the conclusion of the inward movement of the spindles, the flange and the rolled edge of the head may be in substantially the form shown in Fig. 10. The can ends, when preliminarily shaped and used as described, constitute flanging devices which are fed into the machine as loose flanging die plates and emerge as parts of the flanged and headed cans. At about the time that the flanging of the ends of the can-body by the inward movement of the spindles is completed, the pulley 30 on the respective spindle 28 is engaged by the belt 31 and causes a rapid rotary movement of said spindle which is transmitted through the chuck 29 to the can-head and body, and thence to the die 27 and spindle 26. At a time after the rotation of the can has been well started, the same reaches a position at which the rollers 53 engage the same and begin the rolling or folding of the edges of the head to double-seam the same onto the body.

The detailed form of the seaming rollers and the operation thereof in forming the seam is well understood in the art and need not be described in detail. It may be noted, however, that at what may be termed the second stage of the seaming operation the roller 61 is advantageously employed in folding or tucking in the edge of the head between the can-body and the flange thereof, as shown in Fig. 11, the said roller 61 being moved longitudinally of the can-body into operative position at the proper time by the movement of the lever 58 caused by its engagement'by the cam-lugs 63*, as before described. The roller 61 is the only one of the seaming-rollers that need be positively moved toward or away from the can-body. The rollers 53, are so positioned that they will properly engage the can-head'to roll and form the seam thereof, and as said rollers are pressed yieldingly toward the cans by the springs 54, they may yield sufficiently to permit the cans to pass by them without causing an excessive pressure there- 'body, as seen in said figure,

on. At the same time the springs 54 are held under an initial compression great enough to prevent yielding thereof except under a pressure greater than the minimum required to properly form the seam. The resistance of the flange of the can head or end '16 will be such that as the edge of the body 15 is pressed against it by the action of the flangingdies the body will be flared and flanged outwardly, even though the flange of the head he thereby pressed a little away from the vertical plane of the head. The first flanging roll 53 is formed with a beveled face to engage the flan e of the head, as seen in Fig. 11, whereby t e said flange, with the inclosed flange-of the body, will first be restored to transverse or vertical position and then-will be bent over toward the and the succeeding seaming rolls 53 will press the interlocked flanges tightly down upon the body of the can. After passing the last of the seaming rollers the cans approach the upper end of an inclined discharge-chute 65, shown in Fig. 3, and are released by outward movement of the spindles, so as to fall into said chute, whence they are conveyed remains the same, movement were uniform. The special adto any desired position.

- It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that by the provision of suitable seaming rollers for both ends of the cans, heads may be secured upon both ends thereof simultaneously, in the same manner in which the heads are secured upon one end by the machine constructed as herein described and illustrated. It will also be obvious that, by the use of an unusual number of the seaming rollers, the seaming operation may be so subdivided that each of the rollers may perform its quota of the work while the cans are moved past the same by the carrier-wheel, even though the movement of the carrier-wheel be made uniform and continuous. The special swinging driving mechanism, however, provides a means by which the cans may be caused to pause or dwell momentarily at those positions in which the rollers will work most advantageously, and the seaming operation thus expedited and made more certain, while the average rate of movement of the main-shaft and as rapid as if the vantage of the peculiar driving mechanism lies in the fact that whether the rate of driving is uniform or variable, it is always positively controlled and exact, and that it will operate at high speed without noise 01' vibration and without the use of brakes to check the movement of the heavy rotating parts. The belt drive for the rotating chuck-spindles also has the advantage of smooth and noiseless operation, and of great simplicity as compared with gear-driven spindles.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a can end chuck, a can body chuck, can ends formed with double flanges and adapted to form flanges on the edges of the can bodies, said double flanges having flange-limiting stops, means for placing said can ends and unflanged can bodies successively in alinement between said chucks, and means for decreasing the distance between said chucks until the edge of the can body is engaged with the flange of the can end, and for continuing to decrease said distance until the said edge of the can body is formed with a radially presented double seaming flange.

2. The combination of a can end chuck, a, can body chuck, can ends formed with double flanges and adapted to form flanges on the edges of the can bodies, said double flanges having flange-limiting stops, means for'placing said can ends and unflanged can bodies successively in alinement. between said chucks, and rigid nonyielding means for decreasing the distance between. said chucks until the edge of the can body is engaged with the flange of the can end, and for continuing to decrease said distance until the said edge of the can body is formed with a radially presented double-seaming flange.

3. The combination'of a can end chuck, a can body chuck, can ends formed with double flanges and adapted to form flanges on the edges of the can bodies, said double flanges having flange-limiting'stops, means for placing said can ends and unflanged can bodies successively in alinement between said chucks, means for decreasing the dis tance between said chucks until the edgeof the can body is engaged with the flange of the can end, and for continuing to decrease said distance until the said edge of the can body is formed with a radially presented double seaming flange, and double-seaming mechanism arranged to form the flanges of the can end and can body into a tight double seam.

4. The combination of a can body chuck, an opposed chuck, means for placing can bodies successively in alinement between said chucks, means for producing a doubleseaming flange on the edge of the can body the same consisting of a plate separably fitting over the said opposedchuck and having an outwardly extending flange which has a peripheral curved surface arranged to be engaged by the unflanged edge of the can body, said surface being rounded in directions away from the can body and also radially outward, said flange terminating in a sharp bend to act as produced on the can body and terminate the outward extension thereof, and means a stop for the flange of the can body,

for decreasing the distance between said chucks until the edge of the can body has been outwardly flanged and stopped as described' I 5. The combination of a can body chuck, an opposed chuck, means for placing can bodies successively in alinement between said chucks, means for producing a doubleseaming flange on the edge of the can body the same consisting of a plate fitting over the said opposed chuck and separable therefrom with the can body and having an outwardly extending flange which has a peripheral curved surface arranged to be engaged by the unflanged edge of the can body, said surface being rounded in directions away from the can body, and also radially outward saidflange terminating in a sharp bend to act as a stop for the flange produced on the can body and terminate the outward extension thereof, and means for decreasing the distance between said chucks until the edge of the can body has been outwardly flanged and stopped as described.

6. The combination of double seaming mechanism, a can body chuck, an opposed chuck, means for placing can bodies successively in alinement between said chucks, means for producing a double-seaming flange on the edge of the can body the same consisting of a plate separably fitting over the said opposed chuck and having an outwardly extending flange which has a pcripheral curved surface arranged to be engaged by the unflanged edge of the can body, said surface being rounded in directions away from the can body and also radially outward, said flange terminating in a sharp bend to act as a stop for the flange produced on the can body and terminate the outward extension thereof, means for decreasing the distance between said chucks until the edge of the can body has been outwardly flanged and stopped as described, and automatic means for feeding a succes sion of said plates between said chucks.

7. The combination of a can end chuck, means for holding a can body in axial alinement with said chuck, a can end held on said chuck and shaped with a flange the inner surface of which is rounded away from the chuck and away from the position the edge of said flange being bent sharply back and extended toward said rounded surface to provide a stop for the edge of the can body flange as it is formed, whereby the latter is arrested from any but radial extension and is prevented from being bent back toward the can body, and is caused to terminate in a radially presented edge, and means for decreasing the distance between said chucks until the can body edge is formed with a radiall resented double-seaming flange inter oc ed with the can end flange,

8. The combination of a can end chuck, means for holding a can body in axial alinement with said chuck, a can end held on said chuck and shaped with a flange the inner surface of which is rounded away from the chuck and away from the position of the can body,.the edge of said flange being bent sharply back and extended toward said rounded surface to provide a stop for the edge of the can body flange as' it is formed, whereby the latter is arrested from any but radial extension and is prevented from being bent back toward the can body, and is caused to terminate in a radially presented edge, means for decreasing the distance between said chucks until the can body edge is formed with a double-seaming flange, and double-seaming mechanism ar ranged to operate on said can end flange after the can body flange has been formed as described.

9. The combination of a can end chuck, means for holding a can body in axial aline ment with said chuck, a can end held on said chuck and shaped with a flange the inner surface of which is rounded away from the chuck and away from the position of the can body, the edge of said flange being bent sharply back and extended toward said rounded surface to provide a stop for the edge of the can body flange as it is formed, whereby the latter is arrested from any but radial extension and isprevented from being bent back toward the can body, and is caused to terminate in a radially presented edge, rigid non-yielding means for decreasing the distance between said chucks until the can bod edge is formed with a double-seaming fl ange, and double-seaming mechanism arranged to operate on said can end flange after the can body flange has been formed as described.

10. In a can heading and flanging machine, the combination of a heading chuckdie, an opposing can body flanging chuck-die, means for moving said dies together for the purpose of clamping a can body and can head between them and for forming outstanding flanges on the ends of the can body, means for rotating said dies, means for seaming down the flange 0f the can body while included within head, and means for conveying said dies relative to the seaming means with a vari able movement, the least rate of movement occurring when the cans are operated on by said seaming means.

11. In a machine of the class described, can-carrying means mounted to rotate on a fixed axis. seaming devices disposed near the path of said can-carrying means, and actuating mechanism for said can-carrying means, said actuating mechanism including means having an alternately retarding and accelera-ting mechanical movement for conthe flange of the can trolling the rate of movement of the driven parts, and means for throwing out of operation the retarding and accelerating means to cause a uniform movement of the driven parts.

12. chine, the combination of a heading chuckdie, an opposing can body flanging chuckdie, means for moving said dies together for the purpose of clamping a can body and can head between them and for forming outstanding flanges on' the ends of the can body, means for rotating said dies, a roll for tucking in the flange of the can head under the can body flange and toward the end of the can, means for seaming down the flange of tlfe can body while included within the flange of the can head, and means for conveying said dies relative to the seaming means with a variable movement.

13. In a machine of the class described, a series of can-carrying devices mounted to rotate about a fixed axis and uniformly spaced circumferentially about said axis, means disposed near the path of said carrying devices for engaging the cans heldthereby, and actuating means for said carrying devices including means having an alternately retarding and accelerating mechanical movement for retarding the movement thereof at equal intervals, such that the carrying devices successively occupy like positions at the moments of greatest retardation.

14. In a machine of the class described, a spindle-bearing wheel revoluble on a fixed axis, means for rotating the same on said axis, a series of spindles journaled in said wheel on axes parallel with the wheel-axis and spaced equidistantly about the same, pulleys carried on said spindles, a drive-belt passing circumferentially about the series of pulleys to rotate the respective spindles as the successive pulleys are brought into engagement with said belt by the rotation of the spindle-bearing wheel, means for clamping a series of cansin connection with said spindles to be rotated thereby, a can feed chute for delivering cans to the clamping means of spindles which are not in connection with said drive belt and a seaming roll arranged to engage successive cans rotated by spindles which are in connection with said belt.

15. In a machine of the class described, a revolubly mounted shaft, spindle-bearing wheels secured thereon in spaced longitudinal relation, a series of axially-alined pairs of spindles revolubly mounted in said wheels on axes parallel with the shaft and arranged equidistantly about said axis, actuating means for the shaft, means for moving the spindles of each pair longitudinally toward and away from each other during rotation of the shaft, pulleys carried by the set of spindles on one of the spindle-bearing wheels, a

In a can heading and Hanging ma drive-belt passing circumferentially about the series of pulleys so as to engage at any moment all of the pulleys at one side of the wheel, and can-engaging dies carried on the adjacent ends of the spindles.

16. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of pairs of longitudinally alined and rotatable spindles mounted on axes equidistantly spaced from and movable about a common axis, means for rotating said spindles, means for moving the spindles of each pair longitudinally toward and away from each other, can-engaging dies carried on the adjacent ends of the spindles, a plurality of seaming-rollers adapted for cooperation with said dies and mounted on axes parallel with the spindle-axes and yieldable radially of the common axis about which the spindle-axes revolve, a roller cooperating with one of the seaming-rollers and mounted on an axis radial to said common axis and movable rela tive thereto, and an oscillatory lever carrying said cooperating roller.

17 The combination of a can end chuck, a can body chuck, can ends formed with double flanges and adapted to form flanges on the edges of the can bodies in cooperation with said can end chuck and can body chuck, said double flanges of the can ends having flange-limiting stops, means for placing said can ends and unflanged can bodies successively in alinement between said chucks, means for rotating said chucks, and means for decreasing the distance between said chucks until the edge of the can body is engaged with the flange of the can end and for continuing to decrease said distance until the said edge of the can body is formed with a flange.

18. The combination of a can carrier, can rotating devices on said carrier, a plurality of seaming devices, means for actuating the carrier with a plurality of retardations and accelerations of speed as the cans are presented successively to and pass from the several seaming devices, and adjustable means for causing said carrier to move with an even speed.

19. The combination of a can carrier, can rotating devices on said carrier, a plurality of seaming devices, means for actuating the carrier with a plurality of retardations and accelerations of speed as the cans are presented successively to and pass from the several seaming devices, and adjustable means for varying said retardations and accelerations of speed.

20. The combination of a can carrier, can rotating devices on said carrier, a plurality of seaming devices, and means for actuating the carrier with a plurality of retardations and accelerations of speed as the cans are presented successively to and pass from the several seaming devices.

21. The combination with a relatively fixed seaming device, of a can carrier, can rotating devices on said carrier, and means for actuating the carrier with gradual retardation and acceleration of speed as the cans are successively presented to and pass fromsaid seamin device.

22. he combination with means for operating on cans, of a can carrier, can rotating devices on said carrier, and means continuously geared with the carrier for actuating the carrier with a plurality of gradual retardations and accelerations of speed as the cans are presented successively to and pass from said operating means.

23. In a mechanism for feeding cans for closing or other purposes, the combination of a movable can carrier, a toothed rack fixed thereon, a rotatable power pinion engaging said rack, and means for reciprocating said pinion in the direction of the movement of said rack and in the opposite direction.

24. In a mechanism for feeding cans for closing or other purposes, the combination of a movable can carrier, a toothed rack fixed thereon, a rotatable power pinion engaging said rack, means for reciprocating said pinion in the direction of the move ment of said rack and in the opposite direction and adjustable connections for releasing the pinion from said reciprocating means and restraining the bodily movement of the pinion.

25. In a mechanism for feeding and closing cams, the combination of a movable can carrier, a toothed rack fixed thereon, a rotatable power pinion engaging said rack, means for reciprocating said pinion in the direction of the movement of said rack and in the opposite direction, means for holding andindividually rotating cans while on said carrier, and seaming means to which the cans are'presented by said carrier.

26. The'method of double seaming can ends with can bodies, which consists in forming the can end with an outwardly and radially extending flange and with an abrupt return bend in said flange to act as a stop for the edge of the can body to determine the length of the flange to be formed on the can body, and then forcing the edge of the can body longitudinally against the flange of said can end and causing said edge to be flanged outwardly until the edge encounters said return bend, and thereby forming a lateral seaming flange on the can body which extends between outer and inner parts of the can end flange.

27. The method of double seaming can ends with can bodies, which consists in forming the can end with an outwardly and radially extending flange and with an abrupt return bend in said flange to act as a stop for the edge of the can body to determine the length of the flange to be formed on the can body, and then forcing the edge of the can body longitudinallyagainst the flange of said can end and causing said edge to be flanged outwardly until the edge encounters said return bend, and thereby forming a lateral seaming flange on the can body which extends between outer and inner parts of the can end flange, and then rolling down and flattening the double seam so formed.

Signed in the witnesses.

presence of two subscribing LEE C. SHARP. 

